


A Friend in Need

by kazeshinobi



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Abusive Father, Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 10:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5045452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazeshinobi/pseuds/kazeshinobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo's been acting strange recently and it's up to his Super Important Best Friend™ Takumi to figure out what's wrong.</p><p>The problem however, ends up running far deeper then he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Friend in Need

“Let’s go swimming!” Takumi said, pulling the grumpy blond towards the pool happily. He loved the water and could swim laps for hours. The smell of the chlorine, the weightlessness, exercising without getting hot and sweaty… it was great! Leo looked far less enthused, his pale legs almost ghostly in the bright sun. He had opted for a black long sleeve rash vest, for some strange reason. Takumi had seen his stomach before and it was nothing to be ashamed of…

He blushed, willing his mind to think of something else besides Leo’s abs as he started up a tentative breast stroke around the shallow area. He snickered as he watched Leo step into the water cautiously with an unhappy look; his friend often reminded him of a grumpy cat and this was definitely no different with the way the blond sulkily tiptoed into the shallow end, the clear water reaching just above his slender hips.

Leo had been coming to his house after school every two or three days; seeing his best friend this often was definitely welcome but somewhat confusing. Leo prided himself on being studious and devoting himself to their last year of higher education, yet as of late he just came around to hang out, sometimes finishing his homework dutifully while Takumi played video games or read comics.

Leo was definitely the responsible one in this relationship.

Either way, he wasn’t complaining! Grinning at the blond’s pouty expression, Takumi took a deep breath before diving underwater, elegant breast strokes carrying him to the deep end easily. He and Hinoka used to have competitions about who could do the most laps underwater without emerging; that is until one day, Takumi’s competitive nature took it too far and he’d nearly drowned himself trying to make 3 laps. Both of the siblings had been chewed out big time by Ryoma and their competition was officially ‘big bro banned’.

“Come on in, the water’s great!” Takumi cheered, waving to Leo who was still huddling in the shallow end.

Leo gave him the finger, causing him to shake with laughter. Slowly but surely, Leo doggy paddled over with trepidation, movements uncharacteristically wobbly. Taking pity on his uncertain friend, Takumi swam over and met the blond in the middle of the pool, turning over to float on his back.

“Now that’s more my style” Leo said, mirroring his friends action and floating face upwards to stare in appreciation at the bright blue sky spread out above them.

The two floated in silence for a few minutes, occasionally bumping into each other playfully.

“Hmph, your hair looks even longer in the water” Leo observed, watching his friend’s mass of white locks swirl in the water like an ivory snake.

“Auditioning for The Little Mermaid?” Leo teased further, smirking when he got a middle finger in return.

“I’ll have you know that in my family’s history, long haired men are respectable. You’re just jealous!”

The two bantered back and forth like that, just enjoying the others company. There was something about Leo that made Takumi so relaxed; their friendship worked so easily, easy as breathing.

The two eventually jumped out of the pool, Leo faux complaining about his perfect skin being wrinkled until Takumi punched him in the shoulder.

“I’ve just remembered, I think Corrin left us some snacks to have after we finished swimming. I’ll go grab them and we can eat them on the tiles as we dry off” Takumi said, hoisting himself off the ground and heading towards the house, leaving a wet trail behind him.

“Don’t drip too much in the kitchen!” Leo said, laughing.

“Sure thing, MOM!” Takumi said, rolling his eyes with a smile as he opened the screen door to the house, leaving Leo to dry off on the poolside tiles.

* * *

 

Leo chuckled quietly, hearing his friend retreat back into the house. He watched the small ripples on the water’s surface absentmindedly, enjoying the quiet atmosphere. There was always something, some embarrassingly warm feeling in his chest when he visited Takumi’s home.... No one else, not even his siblings could put Leo in such a good mood so quickly.

He had needed this so badly today.

Leo cringed, thinking of what was currently bothering him. He and his father had a very simple relationship; Garon mentally and verbally abused him while Leo took it silently. Garon made it clear quite often that Leo is not smart, strong or hardened enough to meet his expectations.  He usually shrugged it off; he knew his father chose him as a target because he couldn’t risk picking on Camilla or Marx as they might stop giving him so much of their own money from their paychecks.

Two nights ago however, was an exception.

That night, Garon had insulted Takumi.

That night, Leo didn’t just talk back.

He had _yelled_ at his father.

Leo pulled the sleeve of his rash shirt up carefully, staring morosely as the horrible bruise on his wrist. Garon rarely got physical with his abuse, but then again Leo never talked back. He thought the old man was going to have a heart attack when he had defended himself so adamantly; that hope was quickly crushed like the way Garon had crushed his arm in punishment for ‘defiance’ and ‘insubordination’.

Yeah, the word insubordination was used. Apparently he was enrolled in the fucking army.

He had managed to successfully hide it from his teachers and classmates, but it had been quite sore underneath his beige uniform blazer. Today it didn’t hurt so much, but it looked worse than yesterday; the horrible purple bruising looked even more dramatic against his pale, damp skin. He stared at it with narrowed eyes, hating the way it blemished his flesh.

  _Just one more year and then he could go to college with Takumi…_

  _One more year and he could leave that bastard behind him…_

“Hey Leo, you okay with chicken skewers?”

Leo jumped, hastily pulling his sleeve up at the sound of his friend’s voice. He turned around anxiously, relieved to see that Takumi had been too intent on balancing the snacks he had in his hand to see him yank up his shirt.

“S-sounds good” he replied hastily, watching the other boy kick the screen door closed with his leg before heading towards the poolside tiles.

“I got some dipping sauce and some ne- CRAP!”

Leo yelped at the hot sauce splattered all over his arm, the dish hitting the tiles with a resounding clang.

“Oh crap, sorry Leo! I probably shouldn’t have brought it all out at once. Here-“

Leo, distracted by checking if the dish had broken, didn’t notice how dangerously close Takumi’s hand was coming to his arm.

“Let me clean you up-“ was all the warning Leo got before he noticed Takumi about to pull up his sleeve.

The sleeve that was currently hiding his injury.

“Takumi, wai-!”

The other boy yanked the rash shirt sleeve up, blissfully ignorant of the pure panic on Leo’s face.

“Let me just… wait, what’s this?!”

Leo bit his lip, breath quickening as he saw Takumi’s confused expression. The other boy squinted at the large bruise, looking horrified.

“When did this happen? And how?!”

“I banged it on the stairs…?” Leo offered weakly, unable to even pretend to lie properly.

“Leo, this looks way too severe for a simple knock against the furniture…” Takumi pressed, staring at the other with concern.

His gaze landed back on the blond’s  arm, wincing in empathy at how sore it must have been.

“I don’t remember you saying anything about an injury… all I remember on Monday is that your father had been hard on you the night befor-“

Takumi froze, jaw going slack as the implications of what Leo had said caught up to him.

Leo closed in eyes in agony.

He _knew._

“Leo… was t-this caused by him?” Takumi whispered, eyes wide.

Leo opened his mouth, only to shut it. What defence did he have?

His eyes started to water, alarmed as he hadn’t cried in years. Most of the kids at school thought he was just a hardened asshole (and he’s happy to keep it that way); he just hasn’t cared enough about anything besides Takumi or his siblings in a long time.

The boy in question rubbed his thumb gently against the back of the other’s hand, making Leo sigh quietly though he still was on the verge of tears.

“Leo…how long has this been happening?” he asked cautiously, looking up at the other boy with fear in his amber gaze.

Leo cringed and looked away, embarrassed beyond measure. He hadn’t meant for anyone to discover it, let alone Takumi. He felt terror begin to take hold of him, his breaths coming in quick gasps, vaguely registering he was on the verge of hyperventilation. His mind was overwhelmed with the possible implications of his friend’s discovery. Would Takumi tell his siblings? What would they think? Ryoma and Hinoka would likely barge over to Leo’s house to start a fight if they heard! Would he have to go to some shitty psychiatrist? What if Garon found he had been talking like this?! His panic threatened to overwhelm him and he brought a shaking hand to his throat, mind swirling with the horrible possibilities that awaited him.

He looked at up in desperation at the other boy, intending to beg Takumi to keep quiet, but the words died in his throat as he saw the other’s expression.

The pure concern and compassion shining in Takumi’s warm amber eyes left him momentarily breathless, as he sat down on the tiles next to him. With careful deliberation, the ivory haired boy leaned over and wrapped Leo in his arms, burying his head into the younger boy’s soaked hair. Leo sat there, completely shocked at the other began to slowly rub his back in small circles, murmuring comforting words. He felt so warm in those arms but at the same time was filled with despair at the other boy seeing him in such a pathetic state. Despite these thoughts, he felt marginally calmer and noticed his breathing had returned to a stable pace.

“Takumi… I-”

Gods, he couldn’t even get the words out without his voice cracking.

Takumi didn’t seem to mind much, rubbing slow circles on his back soothingly while he waited for the blond boy to collect his composure. Leo returned the hug gently, feeling just slightly better as he wrapped his arms around his best friend’s damp chest. They were both slightly wet and stunk of chlorine, but the moment was oddly serene between them, the two casting shadows against the crystalline surface of the pool.

He could trust Takumi… couldn’t he?

He winced, thinking of his father.

“I… don’t know if I’m ready to explain properly yet…”

“I understand… but if this happens again, you come to me, got it?!” Takumi demanded, startling the younger who seemed to shrink back from his embrace.

“It wasn’t e-even that hard last time-“

“It’s UNACCEPTABLE!” Takumi exploded, immediately regretting his anger and volume as Leo cringed, looking away from him.

Takumi sighed, putting his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry… I just… I want you to be alright…” he murmured, his voice breaking on the last word.

The blond gazed at the worry on his face, feeling a mixture of relief and despair. He now had someone who knew about things at home, but now he was burdening them with said knowledge. Gods, he was a fuck up. He couldn’t deal with things at home in a rational manner and now the way he did deal with things was disturbing his dearest friend.

Maybe if he explained why he had-

Leo winced. He’d deal with that later.

For now, he needed Takumi.

“You’re the one person who makes me feel hope for the future… you’re the one I think of when I feel like want to just run away and it stops me. I don’t… I don’t tell you how much I need you, because I don’t want to freak you out. But the time we spent together is irreplaceable and… you’re _precious_ to me” Leo murmured, staring at the other’s face intently willing himself not to be ashamed by such a blatant display of his emotions.

The other boy’s eyes widened, looking embarrassed but pleased at the admissions.

“You mean a lot to me, too…” Takumi murmured, unwilling to look Leo in the eyes as he said it, bright red.

“But Leo, if things are this bad, I can’t help you by myself. I don’t want to push you or anything but what about contacting the police?”

The blond shook his head, a few last droplets of water sent flying by the action.

“He doesn’t do it hard enough or often enough to warrant legal action. Besides, can you imagine how much worse things would get if the police visited? He’d make my life hell while being way more subtle about it…” Leo murmured, lips in a tight line.

Takumi swore, looking frustrated.

“Then… how about therapy?”

He had already deliberated that therapist = awful idea. His father demanded to know where people were off to if he saw them going out the front door; Leo’s visit to ‘the doctor’ would not go unnoticed, especially if it was multiple visits. And if the therapist actually contacted his father over the contents of their meetings, he was royally screwed.

“I don’t think physical appointments are best for me right now” is what he said instead, trying to save face.

“Your siblings?”

Leo shook his head. He thought of the stress lines under Xander’s eyes, how Camilla tried her hardest to not spend time at home anymore so she could avoid Father, how Elise was still so innocent.

He couldn’t burden them with any of this.

“Then how about something online? I’ve heard of some pretty good internet therapy sites, where you can talk with someone through a chat box?” Takumi pressed, biting his lip.

“I might try that…” Leo said, half humouring him; he couldn’t imagine spilling all of this to some faceless stranger.

He felt exhausted enough now, fatigue dragging down his mood from the earlier panic attack. He trusted Takumi with _his life_ and yet he could only say this much! Opening up to people and admitting emotional weakness was basically Leo’s Kryptonite; years of mental abuse and training had made expressing any kind of softness a fatal flaw, conditioned by his father’s dismissal of emotions.

He wondered if his father had ever had a close friend.

Leo snorted in derision. Not likely.

“Well, I don’t know if this will help…” Takumi started tentatively, snapping Leo out of his musings.

“Go on?”

“Well… if you ever, erm… feel unsafe, promise to ring me.”

“Ring you?”

“Yeah! Like, normally we just text each other, right? But if you ring me, I’ll know somethings up and I’ll pick you up straightaway. We can go for a drive and talk, or organize a gaming session, or whatever you like! If that’s um, okay with you?”

Leo grinned, feeling a surge of affection for his wonderful, dorky companion stuttering in front of him.

How on Earth in his horrible shit-stain of a life did he get someone so amazing like Takumi to be his friend?

“That sounds perfect… but won’t you get annoyed if I’m ringing you when you’re busy?”

“No ifs, ands or buts! If you feel down, you ring me!” Takumi proclaimed, smiling at Leo reassuringly.

“Ryoma, Hinoka, Corrin, Sakura and I are all here for you! And if you need someone to teach that old fart some respect, Hinoka has a pretty mean right hook.”

“Thanks Takumi… I really mean it. You’re one of the best people in my life… even if you ARE a giant nerd.”

The indignant shriek that left Takumi’s mouth upon being called a nerd was a sound to behold.

Leo chuckled at his friend's antics, cackling with laughter as Takumi bent over and splashed him in the face with water from the pool. Worries and anxieties temporarily forgotten, the blond lost himself in the water fight, the two wrestling around the tiled area. It ended up with Leo belting the other with Sakura’s pink pool noodle until Takumi finally surrendered; face bright red from laughing too much and eyes shining with mirth.

He never wanted days like this to end. And it was days like this that kept him strong; strong enough to make it through the hard moments, strong enough to stand up to his father and strong enough to keep living.

All he had to do was struggle through one more year and then he and Takumi could ride off into the same college together, leaving the abuse far, **far** behind him. He was going to make new friends. He was going to be able to study what he loved in peace, without being paranoid that his father would barge in at any moment.

Besides, he would have Takumi, the two of them minutes away from each other while the wretched old man was a whole city away. Of course, he’d miss his siblings but they could easily visit his dorm; if his father tried the same thing, Leo could call campus security to have him physically removed.

Leo smiled at the thought, offering a pale hand to the other and pulling Takumi up off the tiles.

 

_He wasn’t going to let himself be destroyed. Not today._

_Not ever._

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N So I’ve been reading up a little on the Nohr route and at one point, Leo says quite nonchalantly that he knows Garon would have no problem killing him if he stepped out of line.
> 
> Geez.
> 
> Translating that into a Modern AU obviously meant some differences in their relationship, but it’s still pretty messed up. Also, I hope Takumi’s not too OOC in this; I figured that without the stress of whether he could live up to his big crown prince brother would make him more relaxed. You can choose this to either develop into a romantic relationship or just friendship; both definitely adore each other, whether it's platonically or romantically!
> 
> This is fiction however and mental/physical/verbal abuse from parents is sadly all too common. If you’re experiencing anything similar, please reach out to family and friends or seek help; the internet is a great tool for these types of things if you’re scared of getting authority figures involved. If you just need someone to talk to, I recommend http://www.7cupsoftea.com/. They’ve helped me out before; hopefully none of my lovely readers will need it.
> 
> Thanks for reading as always and stay safe.


End file.
